Method of reducing ores.



GE 4RENDL, METHOD OF RDCNG ORES.

APPLIUATIo-z FILED H0120, 1906.

Patented Aug.24,1909.

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esencia.

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G21 ELQBEXCK EENDALL, F NEW THERE, N. Y., .ASSEGNQT TQ AMERICAN-REDUCTION CGM- PAN'Y, A GRPORLTN Gl? NEW JERSEY.

METHD QF REID'UCENG GRES.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, `1909 To al whom 'it 'may concern."

Be it known that I, Gronau Fnnnnmcn britain, residing in the city and county of New York, State of New York., have invented a new and useful Filet/hed of Reducing tires, ofivhich the following is aspecification.

ln a copending application having the saine 'filing date, l have described and broadly claimed a novel and useful construction of an ore reducing furnace in which the necessity of employing fluxes is obviated, and my present invention consists of a novel method of reducing ores which can be carried out to advantage in a construction such as is illustrated and described in the above mentioned application. y

(,)ne of thc prominent features of my invention is the novel manner in which the reducing gas is employed, said gas performing a dual function, being first employed to calcine the ore and eliminate the sulfur and phosphorus contained therein, and afterward beingl combined with heated air to form the requisite combustion for heating thc ore.

Another special feature of my invention is the manner in which the ore after treatment discharged 'from 'the furnace i "aout coming into contact with the atmo jiere until suliiciently cooled and thus pre it. any reoxidization of the ore.

Another feature of my invention is the employment of the heated air externally generated around the gas retorts for mixing W'th gas, which has already been employed to calcine the ore, to produce the requisite combustion for heating the ore.

Another special feature of my invention is the manner in -Which the entire charge is subjected to gaseous treatment by the employmentof an apertured member through which the reducing` gas passes.

titiller special features of my method will hereinafter more fully appear.

For the purpose of more clearly describing` my invention, l have shown in the accomp. lying drawiiig, a sectional vien' of an ore reducing furnace which may beemploj-/ed in carrying out my novel method.

l. designates a casing having achan'iher 2 in Whirl is located a plurality of retorts 'il provided with a source of heat 4. rllhe gas producer or retort 3 is connected with a retort. 5, the upper end of which forms an e5;-

plosion chamber. The heated air Y in the chamber 2 is drawn therefrom through a conduit (i by means of a suction device 7 and mixes and combines with the reducing `s g'as which has acted on thc charge, thereby rcmoving the sulfur and phosphorus contents therein. rlfhe liability of the furnace being injured by the explosions, caused by' the combining of the heated air and gas, is prevented by means of the connterlmlanced cap 8. The ore is automatically fed from the furnace S) into the retorts 5 and the ore in the furnace is heated by the combustion of 'the gas and the heated air, the gases passing'throuph the ore and discharging into a gas receiver or container l() in Which they are collected for Subsequent use. The ore is discharged from the retort 5 through a conduit ll into a receptacle 12'from which all the air has'been excluded.

in carryingr out my method, l proceed as followsz-T-he ore is placed in the furnace and heated by the combustion formed by the combination of the heated air generated externally of the gas retorts in the chamber 2., which is forced by a suction draft into contact with the reducing gas which has previously been employed to treat the charge in the retort. The ore thus treated in the furnace is fed or alobled therefrom into the retort. The gas is led into said retort, whichI is preferably provided with an apertured bottom member in order that the entire charge will be subjected to gaseous treatnient, and, after treating the charge, is combined With heated air to heat the charge in the furnacev as above described. The ore is discharged from therctorts into closed rcceptacles or packages from which the air has been excluded to prevent. any reoxidization. YWhen the ore is sufficiently cooled, it is treated magnetically or by concentration to eliminate all ganglio which leaves the orc in an elen'ientary condition. lt is then placed in suitable packages. inthe case of iron in n'ictal cases` and then melted in a bath of molten material or in a cupola form of furnace. l attach much importance to this feature as it enables the ore to be mixed prior to melting,- with'any desired compoundv and prevents small particles of line material from escaping into the tlues prior`to fusion.

l attach a special importance to the method of admitting' the ,qas to an apertured movable bottom in the furnace, whereby I am en- :ibled to subject the entire charge ix f1 gas@ ous treatment.

It will now be apparent that the gas is eniployed first, for treating` the ore in a suitable retort and then for heating the ore with coinbustion produced by mixing With the ,gue e Suitable proportion of heated air: It will be further apparent thut after the ore has been cnlcined und treated with reducing gases, the Same is cooled in u closed package so that there vis; no possibility of :my reoxidiylation hiking place.

Hering thus described my invention, what I cluin'l es new und desire to secure by lietiers Patent, is:-

The method of reducing' ores which consiste in producing a reducing' gas, leading this gas into intimate Contact with the charge in u retort, forcing heated air into an eX; plosion chamber above the retortto unite with gus passing from the charge, leading this gas to ore for a subsequent charge in a furnace communicating with the retort, die` charging' the charge into :i closed receptacle from which the nir has been withdrawn and without iuhniesion .of oxidizing` atmosphere. sealing. the receptacle und cooling the saine, then mixing the ore with a desired com pound prior to fusion, and then melting the ore in a bnthol molten metal.

GEORGE FREDERICK RENDALL. litnesses l I'Ixnmnn'r lhnuimus, (l, AI). MUVM. 

